ITOPF visits key maritime stakeholders in Norway

Responding to ship-source pollution events is one of ITOPF's key services and its role on-site varies from case-to-case, depending on many factors including the type of pollution present, whether it is oil, chemicals, or other cargoes.

ITOPF's experience in responding to a variety of pollutants and its key services were some of the topics discussed with key maritime stakeholders in Norway. Its trip started with a visit to Hydor AS, a P&I insurer, for a refresher in ITOPF’s role, as well as discussions on recent cases it has attended. This was followed by a visit to Skuld P&I to discuss the current areas of focus for ITOPF and its work in ESG, including a table-top exercise for Skuld claims handlers to experience the challenges present during an HNS pollution incident.

ITOPF then went on to meet with the Norwegian Coastal Administration - Kystverket in Oslo for a tour of its pollution response equipment and research facilities and held discussions around the potential emerging risks arising from decarbonisation in shipping.

The visit to Norway ended with meeting members of the Gard AS P&I team who have recently moved into working on pollution cases and claims, where ITOPF introduced its role and how it works with P&I insurers during a case. These discussions included recent case studies and ended with a table-top exercise for all staff members to understand how an Hazardous Noxious Substance pollution response is managed.

While with Gard, ITOPF ran through its new table-top exercise centred around Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) in pollution spill response. It explored the practical decisions taken during a response which impact each element of ESG, showcasing how ESG considerations can look in reality.